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Cannon Beach Q&A, Part 2

Here are a few more questions from the Friday morning Q&A at Cannon Beach. My comments are in bold type.

7) I would like to have your understanding of the role of men and women in the church.

My
short answer is that I believe God has placed the burden of leadership
on godly, Christ-centered, servant-hearted men in the home and in the
church. Note those qualifiers carefully. We get into all sorts of
trouble when we argue about roles without thinking first about the
character of those in leadership. The true role of leadership is to
serve others. The best leaders do not simply “rule over” others. Jesus
said the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). To lead like Jesus
means laying down your life gladly, freely, repeatedly, not demanding
your own way, but loving others enough to put their interests above
your own. I find it very challenging to consider the list of elder
qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 or to simply consider what it
means to love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for
her (Ephesians 5:25). So my answer is that we need men in
leadership—but not just any men, and not just men who happen to be
church members, but men whose hearts are filled with kindness, wisdom
and courage. I believe in male leadership in the home and in the
church, but it only works when we have the right kind of men whose
hearts are daily transformed by Christ. See Men and Women in Biblical Perspective.

8) Is it ever right to go on strike?

This
is a short version of a longer question about a possible “job action”
where the person involved feels that management has been unfair in
their treatment of employees. Can Christians ever go on strike to
demand better working conditions? The answer would seem to be yes,
there are times when injustice must be directly confronted when other
avenues have been exhausted. There is a corresponding danger of going
too far, of inciting (or condoning) violence, threats, intimidation,
destruction of property, or other illegal activity. Since your
testimony as a Christian is at stake, it matters greatly that you seek
to be a peacemaker. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). Note the key phrase—"as
far as it depends on you.” Sometimes others don’t want to live in peace
with us. We need wisdom from above—and much godly counsel—in deciding
when and how to express our disagreements with those in authority over
us. See How to be a Godly Rebel.

9) Does the New Testament fruit of the Spirit eliminate the Old Testament Ten Commandments?

The
Ten Commandments are not “eliminated” because 9 of the 10 are repeated
in the New Testament. Christians continue to debate how the 4th
Commandment (Keep the Sabbath) relates to us today. When our lives are
controlled by the Holy Spirit, then the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23) will be manifest in us. This is what God promised in Jeremiah
31:33 where the Lord said he would put his law in the minds of his
people and write it on their hearts. The New Testament makes internal
what was external in the Old Testament. See No Condemnation.

10) Why did Jesus say that he didn’t know the time of his own return in Matthew 24:36?

The
answer seems to be that as a man he took upon himself the limitations
of humanity. From the standpoint of his humanity, he voluntarily laid
aside the knowledge that would be his as the eternal Son of God. Luke
2:52 says that Jesus “grew in wisdom.” This must mean that as he grew
up, Jesus gained knowledge the same way that any young person gains
knowledge. As a man, he learned certain things through experience and
education. Yet he was “very God of very God” from all eternity, and he
did not cease to be truly God during the time of his earthly life. It
is perhaps best to simply let these truths rest in tension. During his
time on the earth, Jesus did not know the time of his return. Yet as
the eternal Son of God, he surely has always known when he will come
back. We can say it this way—not that it helps us greatly, but here it
is—Jesus’ omniscience (his knowledge of everything) did not always
operate at the level of human consciousness. Our major problem here is
that we cannot conceive of what it means to be fully God and fully man
at the same time. Every explanation for this passage struggles at this
point. We are left explaining something we don’t really understand.

11) My son is not saved. What about the sovereignty of God? If God is
not willing that anyone should perish (2 Peter 3:9), and God is
sovereign, how can he be lost?

The
sovereignty of God if properly understood ought to lead us to pray with
greater fervency for our loved ones who are not saved. While it is true
that no one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:44), it
is also true that God ordains both the means and the ends of salvation.
God saves sinners who trust in his Son. Our part is to proclaim the
gospel and to pray for God to make it effective in the hearts of those
who hear the message. We do the preaching and praying and God does the
saving. And he saves those who put their trust in Christ. It all fits
together—preaching, praying, believing, saving. And over it all is the
great biblical watchword—"Salvation is of the Lord.” We need not
inquire into areas that are beyond our knowledge—such as who is elect
and who is not—for those matters belong to the Lord. It is enough for
us to know God’s heart, God’s love, God’s provision, and to preach and
pray with all that is within us. Your burden for your son comes from
the Lord. Since God never wastes his burdens, let your burden be a
token of hope that someday your son will be saved. See Praying for Your Prodigal.